Relationship between prosthetic factors and oral health-related quality of life in complete denture wearers

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of prosthetic-related factors on OHRQoL. METHODS: Twenty-eight edentulous patients, conventional complete dentures wearers, composed the sample. The evaluation of prosthetic factors involved the clinical assessment of quality of dentures, patients’ satisfaction, and masticatory ability, as well as recording of wearing time. The OHRQoL was determined thought the oral health impact profile (OHIP-EDENT) questionnaire. Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis were used to statistical inferences (α=0.05). RESULTUS: The OHRQoL showed a strong correlation with the masticatory ability (r=0.8 / p<0.001) and patients’ satisfaction (r=0.7 / p<0.001), which also displayed a strong correlation between them (r=0.7 / p<0.001). Moreover, the regression model stated that these variables explained 68.2% (r2=0.682) of the variation in the OHIP-EDENT data (p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: The OHRQoL was influenced by prosthetic factors, when these were characterized by the masticatory ability and patients’ satisfaction, and not by the quality of dentures nor wearing time.